Save my Heart
by twihard27
Summary: Bella Swan thought her life was over when she was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. Confined to a hospital bed, things appear to be very bleak. But with the arrival of a gorgeous green-eyed doctor, things seem to begin to look up. Can he mend her broken heart, in more ways than one? AH/AU, all cannon couples, RATED M.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey everyone! So, this is my first fanfic on this site, and I'm actually really excited about it. There will be some points of angst, but mainly it's a pretty fluffy story :P Please review, even if you hate it. But do tell me why you hate it, so I can improve :) This is the prologue, so the actual chapters will start quite a bit in the future. Okay, thanks for listening, I'll let you continue on with reading now ;) **

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, my name is Rachel, not Stephanie Meyer. Only the plot is mine, anything else you recognize belongs to her. **

"Isabella Swan?"

I looked up from picking at my chipped pink nail polish into the eyes of a very short, timid looking doctor in a white lab coat with mousy hair and tired eyes.

"Bella." I corrected him. I attempted to give him a smile, but I was too tired to put in too much of an effort and quickly gave up. He returned my grimace with a smile and reached his hand out toward me. "Bella." He repeated as he shook my hand firmly. "My name is Doctor Campbell."

Doctor Campbell reached up with his index finger and pushed up his glasses which had slid down his nose. "So, you are here with complaints of chest pain?" He asked, while consulting the folder he had just picked up. I looked around the small medical room we were in and nodded.

The room was tiny, with barely enough room for the examination table I was now perched on, to the small desk in the corner that was littered with papers and medical books, and a small window on the wall to my left, which overlooked Forks Community Hospital parking lot. The rain was still pounding down, but that was not unusual here in Forks.

"Did you come here alone today?" He questioned me, and I snapped my attention from the window back to Doctor Campbell. I fingered the sleeve of my shirt before answering him.

"Yes. I didn't want to concern anyone until I knew if there was something to be concerned about." Not that there were many people I could tell. My boyfriend, Jacob, of course. My father, Charlie. My mother, Renee, I suppose, even though she lived in Phoenix.

Doctor Campbell made a sound of agreement as he unwrapped a stethoscope from around his neck. "Alright then. I'll do a quick exam and we'll go from there, okay?"

He placed the stethoscope in his ears and raised the chest piece to me. "This will be a little cold." He slid the metal piece under the back of my plaid shirt and pressed into my skin. I shivered involuntarily as the cold metal touched my back.

Doctor Campbell stayed silent for a few moments as he moved the piece to different spots around my back, and then my chest. Although his silence worried me, I, too, remained quiet as he worked.

When he pulled away from me and returned the stethoscope to around his neck. He picked up the folder he had held earlier and scribbled down a few sentences before looking up at me. "Okay. I seem to detect a slight heart murmur." He placed the folder back on his desk and took a seat in a dilapidated black swivel chair, and looked up at me.

I felt my pulse speed up at his words, but tried to appear calm. "And what does that mean, exactly?" I inquired as I dug my fingernails into my palm to try and stay in control. Doctor Campbell adjusted his glasses again and gave me a reassuring smile. "It may be nothing. Sometimes these things can be totally innocent. However, with your complaints of chest pain, I would like to be sure that this isn't anything serious."

I swallowed and nodded. "How do we make sure it isn't anything serious?" I arranged my hands in my lap as I spoke and looked down into Doctor Campbell's eyes as I waited for his reply.

"I would like to take a blood sample, as well as perform an echo cardiogram, which will give us a better picture of what is going on in your heart." As he spoke, I tried to make sense of his words. This was probably nothing. He said it could be totally innocent, right? I had nothing to worry about.

"What's an echo cardiogram?" I asked. Doctor Campbell ran a hand through his thinning hair and took a breath.

"Well, an echo cardiogram, or an 'echo' is basically a sonogram of the heart. A trained sonographer will perform the test, in which an instrument is placed on your ribs near the breast bone and directed toward the heart. The machine will create a moving picture of the heart, similar to a ultrasound scan received during pregnancy." He looks up at me to make sure I understand him. I nodded quickly and he continued.

"I will then look at the results of the test and get a better idea of what is going on inside your heart." I crossed my legs quickly. "Okay." I sighed.

As Doctor Campbell took a sample of my blood, I tried my best not to panic. This was probably nothing. They just wanted to be sure it wasn't serious.

When he had finished taking the sample, Doctor Campbell stood quickly and offered me yet another smile. "You can wait here. I will send in the sonographer in few minutes." As Doctor Campbell turned and left with my blood, I adjusted my position on the crinkly paper covering the exam table .

A heart murmur. What did that mean? I had no idea. I didn't have a clue about medicine. The only information I knew were from sleazy medical dramas and I'm pretty sure most of that stuff was made up. Doctor Campbell didn't seem very concerned about the heart murmur, did he? It could be totally innocent, he said so himself.

This thought would be more comforting if it weren't for the searing chest pains I had been experiencing over the last few months. They started out quite mild, no worse than bad heart burn. But they slowly escalated into pain so brutal I would believe I was being stabbed in the chest with red-hot pokers.

I had kept this pain to myself, of course. I lived alone with Charlie. I didn't want to worry him. As much as it pained me to admit it, Charlie was totally reliant on me. I cooked for him, cleaned for him. Sure, he knew how to fry up a packet of bacon, and pick up the phone to order take-out, but it was mainly up to me to make sure he at least got some nutrients into him. He had lived alone ever since my mother left for Phoenix with me when I was only a baby.

I was very grateful to Charlie, though, even if I didn't tell him very often. He had taken me in after I left my Mom and her new husband Phil in Phoenix to join him in Forks when I was seventeen years old.

Mom hadn't asked me to leave, but I knew it was what was best for everyone involved. Mainly since my leaving meant my mother could travel the country with Phil and his baseball team. Little league, of course.

Although I missed the sweltering sun in Phoenix, I eventually came to love the cool, crisp air of Forks. I even came to enjoy living with Charlie. We were actually very well suited to each other. Neither one of use liked to talk about out feelings, or get all emotional, things my Mother constantly did.

Charlie tried his best. He was very protective, which I suppose was to be expected from him, considering his job as chief of police. Although he didn't see much action here in the small town of Forks, he had been around long enough to see some pretty horrible crimes, and what some violent criminals were capable of.

Unfortunately, this meant Charlie was very cautious when it came to boys showing an interest in me. Not that it happened often, though. I was unbelievably clumsy and totally awkward around members of the opposite sex. I never really found anyone I clicked with. Jacob had expressed an interest in me when I first moved to town. I tried to show him I wasn't interested, but after a while I gave in. He was attractive, I suppose. I didn't really see the point in turning him down anymore.

I moved to Forks nearly three years ago. Now here I am, nineteen years old, twenty in just over a month, and sitting in a doctor's office with a heart murmur.

My internal monologue was interrupted by a nurse entering the room. She looked to be in her forties, with blonde hair and laugh lines. In her hand she carried a scrap of material, which held out to me. "Isabella Swan?"

"Bella." I corrected as I accepted the fabric from her and opened it up to reveal a hospital gown.

"You will need to remove all the clothing on the upper half of your body and wear this." She told me with a kind smile. I nodded at her words and started unbuttoning my shirt as she walked out of the room. "The sonographer will be in with you in a moment." She called, her back to me.

"Thanks." I called back as the door shut with a soft click. I removed my bra and slipped the gown over my head and buttoned it at my shoulder.

I lay back down on the examination table and waited. No more than a minute later, there was a tap at the door. I gave the knocker permission to enter and an African-American man in lilac scrubs entered the room, pulling a piece of machinery on wheels behind him.

"Isabella Swan?" He asked as he pulled the machinery to a stop beside the examination table. I didn't bother to correcting him, and merely nodded. He extended his hand for me to shake as he introduced himself. "My name is Tom. I'll be performing your echo today."

I took a deep breath and lay back on the table. Tom switched on the machine which I know realized was probably some sort of ultrasound. He sat down in the black swivel chair Doctor Campbell had occupied minutes earlier, and scooted closer to the table I was lying on.

"I'm going to attach these to your chest and shoulders" He held up some transparent patches attached to wires as he spoke. "They're called electrodes, and they'll monitor your EKG during the echo."

I didn't even bother asking what my EKG was as Tom stuck the patches to my shoulders, after I unbuttoned the hospital gown. I felt the feeling of nervousness grow as Tom prepared to put some sort of gel on my chest. What if something really was wrong?

"I'm going to need you to take some deep breaths for me, Isabella." Tom said as he smeared the gel across my chest. I followed his instructions as he placed a sort of wand attached to the ultrasound machine on top of the gel.

Tom moved the device around a few times, and I watched in amazement as a fuzzy black and white picture appeared on the monitor of the machine. "That" Tom said as he pointed at the screen. "Is your heart."

I watched in amazement as he moved the wand around and got pictures of the heart from several angles. The exam took much longer than I thought it would, over half an hour, judging by the clock mounted on the wall above the door.

Tom's growing silence began to worry me as he only spoke to ask me to take a deep breath or turn on my side. He studied the the picture on the monitor intently and I tried not to stress over the serious expression on his face.

As he clicked off the machine and handed me some blue paper towels to clean the gel from my chest, I glanced nervously to the clock. It was almost six, the time Charlie would be heading home from the station. He would wonder why I wasn't at home to meet him and I didn't bother to leave him a note or anything.

"I'm going to go print off your scans and give them to Doctor Campbell to examine. It shouldn't take too long. You can have a moment to get changed in here but then you can wait in the waiting room until Doctor Campbell has finished." Tom's serious expression still hadn't faded from when he had first studied the pictures of my heart on the monitor.

I tried not to panic and mutely nodded at Tom's retreating figure.

After about a half an hour and a call to Charlie to tell him I was in Port Angeles doing a spot of shopping and running late home in the evening traffic, a stop to the coffee shop in the lobby of the small hospital, and a thorough examination of all the posters pasted across the deserted waiting room walls, the nurse who gave me the hospital gown earlier called my name to meet again with Doctor Campbell.

As I followed her back into the examination room, I couldn't help but note the sympathy her eyes held.

That can't be good.

Doctor Campbell stood as I entered the small room and extended his hand to a brown plastic chair that had been placed in the room, gesturing for me to take a seat.

As I sat, so did Doctor Campbell. The nurse stayed in the room, but stood behind me, beside the door, where I couldn't see her.

"Now, Bella, I'd like to ask you a few questions before we proceed. Alright?" Doctor Campbell's eyes also held strong sympathy that I tried extremely hard to ignore. "Okay." I agreed and I waited for him to begin.

Doctor Campbell nudged his glasses higher up on his nose again as he consulted the file he had been examining in earlier. "Do you often find yourself short of breath?" I tilted my head to the side as I considered his question.

Yes, actually. Jacob was constantly complaining that I couldn't keep up with him when we went for walks through the forest near my house.

"Yes." Doctor Campbell scribbled something into the file and looked up at me again. "Do you ever feel fatigued, or weak?" Totally. Only an hour ago I could barely muster up the strength to manipulate my facial muscles into a smile, for God's sake. "Yes." I repeated and Doctor Campbell returned to his file and wrote something in.

"And your chest pain. How long have you been experiencing it?" I pursed my lips and ran a hand through my dark brunette hair as I thought. "About three months or so. It's been gradually getting worse."

"Any loss of appetite?" He asked. "Yes." I replied, thinking back over the past few months. I had been slowly losing weight because of my lack of eating.

"Do you know of any family history of heart disease?"

Heart disease?

"Not that I know of." I eyed Doctor Campbell wearily as he continued to write in his folder. "Why?" I questioned.

Doctor Campbell's head snapped up. He looked at me for a moment before he took a deep breath and released it, and set the file back on his desk.

"Bella. I'm terribly sorry, but you appear to have a heart condition known as Dilated Cardiomyopathy."

I felt my blood run cold as his words settled in. A heart condition? This has got to be some kind of joke. I am nineteen years old. I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I've never even smoked a cigarette. I am the picture of health. I go for walks, I eat healthily.

"And... wh- what does that mean?" It sounded like my voice was coming from somewhere else as I watched Doctor Campbell lean forward to rest his forearms on his thighs.

"Basically it means your heart is enlarged, and very weak. It can't properly pump enough blood around your body." I tried to take in his words as he spoke, but all I heard was a low buzzing.

A heart condition.

"Is it.. can it be- is it serious?" I stammered out.

Doctor Campbell tilted his head to the side. There was the sympathy again.

"I'm afraid so. You condition is... advanced. We can slow down your symptoms and keep you out of the hospital for as long as possible, if you reduce your salt intake and limiting how much you drink. We will also prescribe you some medication to stop you from going into heart failure."

Heart failure?

"Heart failure?" I asked, eyes wide. Doctor Campbell nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, but it is likely over time, your heart will deteriorate even further, and it will give up."

I felt my stomach sink and I tried to stop tears from falling. "So... you're saying... I'll die?" My voice was no louder than a whisper. Charlie. What would happen to him when I was gone? Who would look after him?

"Death is not the only outcome. If you take your medication responsibly and follow my instructions, you can probably live healthily at home for at least a few years, before your heart is too weakened to support you any longer."

The tears were still welling up, but I still didn't let them fall.

"What happens after my heart doesn't work anymore?" I whispered, the feeling of anxiety brewing in my stomach. What about Renée? She's so child-like and harebrained, how would she deal with my death?

Doctor Campbell released a breath and looked at me. "Unfortunately, you don't have many options. You will have to be brought into the hospital where you can be monitored constantly."

I felt my jaw drop. "For the rest of my life?" His words shocked me. That's it? A possible few years at home before I have to spend the rest of my life in a hospital bed?

Doctor Campbell was shaking his head before I finished speaking. "We can insert a pacemaker into your chest which will regulate your heartbeat. We can also connect you to a machine known as an LVAD. Or, failing these things, a transplant is always an option." Doctor Campbell studied me as I took in his words.

"A heart transplant?!" I exclaimed. My eyes were wide as I considered this. This was obviously much more serious than I thought. A new heart. Whoa.

I watched as Doctor Campbell nodded sympathetically. "I'm very sorry." He pushed his glasses up his nose again, and I tried to not be pissed off by his annoying habit.

Pull it together, Swan. It's not his fault you have a bum heart.

"Of course until this happens, you will have to visit the hospital for regular check-ups, to make sure we keep on top of things." My eyes dropped to my hands and I swallowed hard. Get a grip. Get a grip. I repeated this mantra in my head as I fought back my tears.

"And when your heart does... give up, you will have to be transferred from this hospital to another one in Seattle." Doctor Campbell said.

I looked up at him again. "Why?" I inquired clearly, glad I had gotten a hold on my emotions.

"Unfortunately, Forks Community Hospital is very small, and not equipped to handle situations such as yours. You can attend you check ups here, of course." I stared at Doctor Campbell while he spoke. Not only will I be stuck in a hospital, I will be in Seattle, where I know nobody.

Doctor Campbell seemed to read my mind. "If it's any consolation, Seattle Mercy General Hospital has the best cardiology program in the country." I closed my eyes briefly and sighed. "Alright then."

I spent the rest of the appointment with the Nurse, discussing times for my appointments. I had to come in twice a month to get my heart checked on. Now, I was going to have to tell Charlie.

I arranged for the appointments to all fall on the weekend. Summer was drawing to a close, and as soon as September rolled around, I was sure to start my classes at University as planned, heart condition be damned.

After a lecture on what I could, and couldn't do, (There was a lot I couldn't do), a free pass to park wherever I wanted, a prescription for heart medication to be filled, a handful of pamphlets about dilated cardiomyopothy and a dozen pitying smiles, I was back in my beautiful, rusty, old Chevy truck.

It was then I let the tears I had been fighting come. Mostly, I cried for Charlie. He would have no one to care for him when I was gone. Renée would blame herself, somehow, probably. Jacob... well, I actually don't know how Jacob would react. We'd been dating for almost two years now, and I'm not sure what he would think about all of this. And more importantly, I wasn't really sure I cared what he thought.

I mentally slapped myself. Jacob was my boyfriend, who I loved. Of course I cared what he thought.

With a deep breath, I turned the key in the ignition of my beloved truck, and immediately found comfort in the startlingly loud sound it made, I set off on the highway to go home to tell everyone I had a heart condition.

**A/N: So there you have it. Please review and tell me what you think! I'm sorry if it was a bit hard to follow, I tried to make everything as simple as I could. If you are confused about anything, just ask. Also, I am not a doctor, by any means, so if I am wrong about anything, I'm terribly sorry. Blame wikipedia :P Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Soo... Hi! I don't really have anything to say, just... enjoy! (And review! ;))**

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. If I were, I would be off rolling in money, not sitting at home in my pajamas. **

**Previously: **After a lecture on what I could, and couldn't do, (There was a lot I couldn't do), a free pass to park wherever I wanted, a prescription for heart medication to be filled, a handful of pamphlets about dilated cardiomyopothy and a dozen pitying smiles, I was back in my beautiful, rusty, old Chevy truck.

It was then I let the tears I had been fighting come. Mostly, I cried for Charlie. He would have no one to care for him when I was gone. Renée would blame herself, somehow, probably. Jacob... well, I actually don't know how Jacob would react. We'd been dating for almost two years now, and I'm not sure what he would think about all of this. And more importantly, I wasn't really sure I cared what he thought.

I mentally slapped myself. Jacob was my boyfriend, who I loved. Of course I cared what he thought.

With a deep breath, I turned the key in the ignition of my beloved truck, and immediately found comfort in the startlingly loud sound it made, I set off on the highway to go home to tell everyone I had a heart condition.

* * *

"CLEAR!" I heard a voice shout. I tried to look and see who was shouting, but I couldn't seem to open my eyes. Why couldn't I open my eyes?

I felt an electric shock run through my body and I wanted to gasp in shock. Holy hell, that hurt.

"CLEAR!" Why was the person shouting? Once again I felt the pain of a thousand lightning rods shooting through my body. God damn it. Who was doing this to me? I wanted to tell them to stop, but I couldn't manage to make any words.

Slowly I felt my eyes open.

"Oh, shit." I managed to croak out.

These were the first words that came to my mind when I realized where I was.

On my back, in an ambulance, below a young looking EMT, who was desperately clutching defibrillator paddles like his life depended on it. I couldn't help but notice the terror in his eyes. He must be new.

"Bells? Bella, are you alright?"

My eyes searched for the voice and I was met with the dark brown eyes of my father, looking unusually dashing in a suit and tie.

Then it all clicked together.

"Oh, _shit!_" I exclaimed, trying to sit up, but before I could I was pushed down again gently by the EMT. "I'm sorry Ms Swan, but you have to stay lying and keep your blood pressure down."

I wanted to curse the bastard out. He looked like he was seven years old. Who was he to tell me what to do?

"He's right, Bells. You need to rest." Charlie came to the EMT's rescue. I saw him shoot my father a grateful look as I huffed out an defeated breath.

I looked up at my father and felt the guilt overwhelm me. "Oh my God, Charlie, I'm so sorry!" I apologized, my voice sounding very hoarse.

I can't believe my heart chose tonight to act up. Tonight, of all nights. The night of my father's rehearsal dinner. For his _wedding_.

"Don't worry about it, honey. It wasn't your fault." Charlie tried awkwardly to soothe me. "How far away from the hospital are we?" He called to the driver of the ambulance.

"About five minutes." The voice called back. Charlie turned back to me and held my hand. "How is Sue? Does she hate me?" I asked desperately, worried for my future step-mother.

A lot had changed in the last three years since I had found out about my heart condition. On the night I came home from the hospital to tell my father about my illness, He chose that night to tell me he was dating Sue, a kind Native-American woman from La Push, the Indian reservation in Forks, the same place Jacob was from. Now _that_ was an awkward conversation.

Now here we are, in the back of an ambulance again. Even though I go to my check-ups regularly, my heart still freaks out sometimes and I have to be rushed to hospital. I'm pretty sure Doctor Campbell is sick of looking at me now, since we see each other so often.

"Of course she doesn't hate you, she was really worried. We all were. You gave us quite a scare, Bells." Charlie patted my hand carefully and I noticed his eyes were red-rimmed and he looked extremely pale.

"Ah, crap, Charlie, I'm really sorry." I apologized again. The EMT handed me a thick blanket and I spread it over my chest and let the exhaustion consume me as I closed my eyes. Over the years, my symptoms had gotten worse. I was constantly exhausted, I could barely walk for two minutes without gasping for air, and I felt sick at the sight of food. My hands and feet were always freezing cold, too.

After a few minutes, I felt the ambulance pull to a stop and the cold gush of air as the doors were opened behind my head. I kept my eyes closed as the EMT warbled off my information to the waiting doctors as I was rolled out of the back of the ambulance on the stretcher.

Things seemed very hazy. Shapes where moving around me and I wasn't really sure of anything. Faces passed by, a clock on the wall wavered around my vision. Needles and bags of medicine swirled around me and I tried very hard to push off the feeling of darkness that threatened to consume me.

It felt heavy, like black fog. I felt it pressing down on me and I was helpless to stop it. Everything dulled, and I slowly felt myself surrender to the darkness.

* * *

Waking up was painful. My eyes were heavy and my chest ached. I could hear my erratic heartbeat echoing in my ears.

As I slowly opened my eyes, I only felt the pain in my chest grow. My head felt woozy as I tried to take in my surroundings. I was in a hospital bed. My room was small, but pristine. The walls were white, only brightened by a single painting of a vase of flowers hung proudly in the middle of the wall. I had several wires coming out of the top of my hospital gown and from my forearm.

As things began to become clearer, I saw my father, asleep in a low Morris chair, his head leaning uncomfortably against his shoulder. He would have a crick in his neck when he woke. I tried to get up so I could help in into a more comfortable position, but soon realized the wires sprouting from me connected to several machines behind and beside my bed.

I slumped back against my pillow in frustration. I stared up at the white tiled ceiling. Why was I here? I had to rack my brain for a while before I remembered what happened. Oh God... Charlie and Sue's rehearsal dinner.

I felt terrible. Charlie and Sue had put this day off for so long, waiting to see if I would get better. I don't think they understood the true extent of my disease. They didn't have to know I was basically a lost cause.

Now I'd gone and ruined their special day. Or at least the _rehearsal_ of their special day.

To top it all off, Jacob was there. Charlie said we didn't have to invite him, but I tried really hard to be the bigger person. Jacob was a good friend to everyone on the reservation, so it would be horrible to not invite him when practically everyone else in La Push would be in attendance. Even if that asshole did dump me.

My thoughts were interrupted by a tentative knock on the open door. I looked up to see Doctor Campbell, flanked by a young medical intern. I gave him a brief nod and he entered the room. I looked over to Charlie, who seemed to be stirring in his sleep.

Charlie blinked a few times and looked over at me. His eyes widened when he saw I was awake and he sat upright suddenly. He let out a groan and grabbed the right side of his neck, and tilted his head from side to side as if stretching it.

Doctor Campbell gave me genuine smile as he approached the side of my bed. "I'm very glad to see you're awake, Bella." He said as he reached into his pocket for his little torch. He reached up to my eye and held it open as he shone the light into it and instructed me to look in different directions.

He repeated this action on my other eye, as Charlie and the intern watched in silence. Doctor Campbell pulled back, snapped the torch off and placed it back in the breast pocket of his white lab coat. He turned to my father. "Sorry, Charlie, we have to talk to Bella in private for a while now."

Charlie looked quickly to me and then looked back to Doctor Campbell, shaking his head. "She only just woke up. I can't leave her now. She's my daughter." I caught the intern give him a sympathetic smile, but Doctor Campbell stayed cool.

"Bella is twenty-two years old. We need to speak to her alone, just for a few moments." Doctor Campbell said kindly, "Unless, you preferred he stayed?" He said as he turned back to me.

I shook my head and looked up at Charlie, whose figure appeared to be swaying a bit. I still felt pretty woozy from whatever medication they were giving me.

Charlie let out an irritated huff and stood. He gave me one last look before turning on his heel and walking out of the door, mumbling about how he needed to stretch his legs anyway.

Doctor Campbell stepped closer to the bed and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Bella. I'm terribly sorry, but it seems as though the day we have dreaded for so long is finally here."

I felt that recently very familiar feeling of dread swell in my stomach. I felt as though the blood in my veins had turned to ice as I let his words sink in.

_It appears as though the day we have dreaded for so long is finally here._

_Finally here._

I knew what this meant. My heart had finally failed me. After the past three years of restricted living, the day I had been fight off for so long had arrived.

I swallowed hard. "So... what? I'm stuck in a bed from now on?" I asked, thinking back to my first conversation with Doctor Campbell three years ago. He warned me of this day. I didn't think it would happen this soon. It feels like only yesterday I even found out I was sick.

Doctor Campbell placed his hand in mine and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Over the past few years, he and I had become friends. I could see just how upset he was to be the one delivering me this news.

"The strain just became too much for your heart to handle. After you collapsed, we brought you into surgery immediately and attached your heart to a machine which will help steady your heartbeat. This seems to have improved your condition drastically. However, it is not a cure, and while you are attached to the machine, you must stay in the hospital full-time."

Doctor Campbell removed his hand from mine and reached for the chart from the hands of the intern beside him, who had taken it up from where it was hanging on the end of my bed.

He studied it briefly and looked up at me. "As you know, you have been on the transplant list for the past year. I am very confident you will not have a long wait before a new heart comes along." the intern gave me a hopeful smile as Doctor Campbell finished speaking.

God, I hated these people. They were far too optimistic.

"What if a new heart doesn't come along? What happens then?" I asked, trying very hard not to sound bitter.

Doctor Campbell sighed. "There is always a possibility a heart won't come along in time. But I don't think being pessimistic is the right thing to do in this situation. Look on the bright side."

I tried very hard not to roll my eyes at him. "Bright side? Where is there a bright side in this?"

Seriously. I'm fucking dying, and he's telling me to look on the bright side.

Doctor Campbell gave me a small smile. "Every cloud has a silver lining. You just have to look for it."

Yeah, sure.

"As we previously discussed, when the time came, you would be transferred to Seattle Mercy General Hospital." I looked up at my doctor and released a loud breath.

At least Charlie had Sue now. I didn't have to feel guilty about leaving him to fend for himself.

"When will I be transferred?" I asked, smoothing out the crisp hospital sheets covering the lower half of my body.

"We have yet to make the arrangements, but it looks as though the helicopter will be available to take you tomorrow morning."

So soon? Crap, what would I tell Charlie?

"I see..." I murmured as Doctor Campbell handed the chart back to the intern. "I will be in contact with your doctor in Seattle often, so I will always be up to date with your case." I closed my eyes again as I considered all that had happened. Seattle. Whoa.

"You're tired. We should leave you. I'll explain the situation to your father." I snapped my eyes open at Doctor Campbell's words.

"Please convince him to stay in Forks. His entire life is here. I'm a grown woman, I don't need him to come with me to Seattle." I pulled a face as I imagined my father coming with me. Don't get my wrong, I loved my father, but It would be extremely nice to just lie down for a while and not to pretend I was totally healthy when I have searing pain in my chest. His job, Sue, his entire life was here in Forks. I couldn't be the one to take that away from him.

Doctor Campbell smiled. "I understand entirely. I'll see what I can do." As he and the intern left, I threw my head back onto the pillow and let my exhaustion consume me. This was all a lot to take in.

I wasn't really surprised though. I knew this was coming. I was just surprised it came so soon.

I tried to push all thoughts of death and hearts and machines and transplants out of my head as I felt my eyelids grow heavier. It wasn't long until I felt the heaviness of sleep surround me, comforting me, taking me to a place where I wasn't sick.

* * *

Discussing my transfer to Seattle was difficult for Charlie to understand. I had always put on a brave face when he was around, and I had never told him that the heart transplant was the pretty much the only ultimate cure for me.

He wanted to come with me. Doctor Campbell and I had to explain to him that him following me out to Seattle wasn't a good idea. Sue needed him, the police station needed him, and I would just be stuck in a hospital bed in Seattle anyway.

I also convinced him not to call Renée. She was far too dramatic for her own good. She would probably hop on the next flight out to Washington so she could be by my bedside day and night. Once again, I love my mother, but I don't think I could spend that much time with anyone.

When morning came, and I received another visit form Charlie after I sent him home to get some rest the day before, along with Sue and her two teenage kids, Leah and Seth.

I told Charlie to tell everyone in town I was going to New York for a job offer. I didn't want people's sympathy. I always hated being the center of attention.

When it was time for me to leave, Seth gave me a warm, brotherly hug, Leah gave me and awkward half-smile and Sue wrapped me up in her arms and whispered words of encouragement into my hair.

Only Charlie accompanied Doctor Campbell and I up to the helipad to see me off. He and I had never been ones for showing emotion, so it took me by surprise when he wrapped his arms around me in an awkward, yet somehow comfortable hug.

"Bye, Bells. Call me anytime, okay?" He sniffed as released me from the hug.

"Will do, Charlie." I felt my eyes start to fill with tears but I turned away from him before he saw.

"Ready?" Doctor Campbell asked as he stood back to let me be pushed up the ramp into the helicopter in a wheelchair before him.

"Yep." my voice hoarse from unshed tears. Doctor Campbell climbed into the helicopter after me and closed the door. I felt the vibrations as the engines came to life and I looked out of the plexi-glass window to wave at Charlie.

Doctor Campbell adjusted the nasal cannula leading from my nose to the portable oxygen tank strapped to the back of my wheelchair as we slowly began to rise off the ground. Charlie stood with a nurse, his clothes whipping around him as the propellers stirred the air.

I gave him one last wave as we rose high into the air and set off towards Seattle Mercy General Hospital.

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it! Thanks for reading! Please review/follow/favorite! They always make me smile :) **


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Quick question: Has anyone been to see Breaking Dawn part 2 yet? I'm leaving straight after posting this chapter to go and see it with my best friend (: It's kind of our tradition. We've been to see every twilight movie together since the original in 2008. **

**So for that, this chapter is dedicated to my very best friend in the entire world, Kate. **

**I love you Katie! 3 **

**P.S.: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. I love reading them, they always make me smile :D **

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. If I were, I wouldn't be wasting my life on the internet. Then again, I probably would. But I would have a much fancier computer. **

**Previously:** I gave Charlie one last wave as we rose high into the air and set off towards Seattle Mercy General Hospital.

* * *

The journey to Seattle took just over an hour. I thought we made great time, considering it was over a three-hour drive.

I could see the hospital as we approached. It was much more extravagant than Forks Community Hospital, that was for sure. The building was very large and white, and the right side of it was made entirely of a wall of glass. On the roof there was a huge helipad with a giant 'H' on it, our obvious destination.

As we began our descent to the roof, Doctor Campbell straightened out the blanket covering my knees and gave my shoulder a reassuring pat.

"I have to give your new doctor a quick debriefing on your case and make sure everything is settled, but then I will have to go." I gave him a tired smile just as I felt the slight bump of the helicopter making contact with solid ground. I knew Doctor Campbell didn't really have to come all the way to Seattle with me, but I was very glad he did. It was nice having someone to talk to during the journey.

As the engines shut off, the doors were opened from the outside by a very tall female nurse. She had light brown hair with streaks of honey-blond running through it, and a name tag hanging off the breast pocket of her light pink scrubs reading 'Angela Weber'.

She gave me a kind smile while Doctor Campbell stood up behind my wheelchair, although he had to stoop as not to bang his head on the ceiling of the helicopter, and began to push me out of the doors and down the automatic ramp that lowered after we landed.

As we reached the bottom, I saw there was another doctor standing next to the nurse. He was quite short, with almond shaped eyes and black hair, slicked back with some sort of gel. He looked impeccably clean, with well manicured hands and a spotless white lab coat that I had become so accustomed to in Forks Community Hospital.

He outstretched his hand to Doctor Campbell, and the nurse took over my chair as Doctor Campbell shook the new doctor's hand warmly.

"Doctor Campbell, a pleasure to see you again." The new doctor said kindly. He turned his attention to me and offered me his hand in a similar fashion.

"And you must be Isabella Swan." He took my cold hand and shook enthusiastically.

"Bella, please." I corrected him and he nodded. "Alright, Bella. I'm Doctor Eric Yorkie."

Doctor Yorkie rubbed his hands together dramatically as if trying to keep warm. "Let's go inside, shall we? There's forecast for rain."

The nurse began to push me in the direction of the double doors leading to the inside of the building. Doctor Campbell held open the door for me to be pushed through and I was struck by the warmth of the small corridor in comparison to the cold Washington weather outside.

We continued down a small hallway lined with metal shelves filled with medical supplies, to a small area with four elevators, two on either wall, and Doctor Yorkie pressed the button which lit up, signaling the approach of a new elevator.

While we waited, Doctor Campbell and Doctor Yorkie spoke together, using many complicated terms I didn't understand. After a while I stopped listening and instead studied my surroundings.

There was no denying this hospital was beautiful. The walls were a rich cream and the floors where covered in spotless linoleum. The walls were dotted with small paintings and portraits at random intervals. It had that distinct hospital smell, of fabric softener and antiseptic solution.

A short 'bing' announced the arrival of an elevator. As the wide doors opened, the nurse rolled me in first and the two doctors followed in after us.

As Doctor Yorkie pressed the button for floor number twelve, and mumbled something about cardiology to Doctor Campbell, I was shocked by the amount of buttons. This hospital was huge! There were sixty-four buttons, all leading to different floors.

The elevator ride was very smooth and fast, with quiet instrumental music playing softly in the background.

When we reached level twelve, the elevators opened to a wide atrium that consisted of an 'L' shaped counter which I assumed to be the nurse's station, and several sofas and coffee tables piled high with magazines. There was even a station in the corner of the room which held a coffee machine and a pile of coffee cups stacked on top of each other.

The room was decorated perfectly, the color scheme mainly cream, but with accents of blue. It was very grand, especially compared to the humble hospital back in Forks.

We all continued on past the nurse's station and down a wide, brightly lit corridor, which was buzzing with activity as nurses and patients and medical interns running around.

After about a minute of walking, we reached a door with the number 1221 on a plaque on the wall beside it, and Doctor Yorkie stepped forward to grab hold of the metal door handle and pulled it open.

The room was amazing. There was a door to the right that obviously led to an en-suite bathroom, the walls were paneled with a light brown wood and the two beds in the room were covered in crisp white sheets and had several pillows piled high at the top of each bed.

The other bed appeared untouched, so the person I was sharing this room with probably had not arrived yet. Charlie's medical insurance was paying for all of this, so frankly I was pleased just to have a semi-private room. Plus, it might be nice to have a someone to talk to throughout all of this.

I wondered briefly if the person would have dilated cardiomyopothy too. This was the cardiology wing, after all, so whoever it was would have to have a problem with their heart too.

Doctor Yorkie's pager let out a series of beeps and he picked it up from were it was clipped to his trousers and cursed softly under his breath.

"Sorry, Bella. This is where I leave you. If you have any questions, ask Nurse Weber." He gestured towards the tall nurse beside me. "She'll hook you up to all your machines and make sure you are comfortable. I'll come in to check on you later when I do my rounds. Alright?" I nodded quickly to him.

He gave me one last smile and turned to Doctor Campbell. "John, I have a woman with Ellis-Van Creveld Syndrome if you would like to join me for a consult?"

Doctor Campbell let out a gasp and glanced briefly at his watch and then to me. "I would love to, but Bella-" Doctor Campbell began, but I interrupted him quickly. "Don't worry about me. Go do something useful." I joked.

He gave me a smile and bent down to give me a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "I probably won't see you again before I have to leave." He said into my ear.

I shook my head and forced a reassuring smile on my face. "Forget about me." He stood and turned towards the door with Doctor Yorkie. "We'll miss you back in Forks Community, Bella." He said softly just as he left straight after Doctor Yorkie.

"Bye." I called quietly after him.

Once they left the room, Nurse Angela smiled at me yet again. "Which bed would you prefer?" She asked. I looked between the two of them quickly and chose the one nearest the window and furthest away from the door.

"That one, please." I said as I pointed to the bed of my choosing. Nurse Angela grinned. "Good choice." She said and she walked over and peeled back the covers. She walked back and wheeled me closer to the bed and bent down to help me stand.

Frankly, I was really embarrassed that I needed help to even stand, but I couldn't exactly object, since I did need the help.

Nurse Angela helped me into the bed and took a few minutes to connect me to a series of machines, and I listened to the beat of my heart coming in loud beeps from the heart monitor.

When she finished she stood back and fluffed up the pillows behind my back and instructed me on how to work the television that was mounted in the corner of the room.

I glanced over to the other bed and couldn't hold back my curiosity. "Nurse Weber? Who'll be sharing this room with me?" I asked.

Nurse Weber chuckled. "We'll be seeing a lot of each other, Bella. Call me Angela." I nodded and gave her a smile. "And to answer you question, a woman should be joining us here soon. She's around your age, so you two should get along quite well." Angela said.

As Angela asked me if there was anything else I needed, I shook my head and leant back against the fluffy pillows. I heard her leave quietly and I closed my eyes.

I must have fallen asleep, because next thing I knew, the door to my room was being opened.

I looked up quickly to see Nurse Angela pushing another girl in a wheelchair into the room.

The first thing I noticed about the girl was her size. She was tiny, probably no more than five feet tall. She was very pale and had dark black hair that was cropped very short. She was wearing a beautiful skirt and warm jumper set, and she gave me a huge smile as she was pushed in.

"You must be Bella!" she exclaimed, surprisingly loudly for a person so tiny. I looked to Nurse Angela who smiled at me. "I told her all about you during our journey." She admitted sheepishly.

I rolled my eyes and returned the new woman's smile. "That's me." I said and she grinned at me.

"I'm Alice Brandon." She said as she climbed into bed. "What are you in for?" She asked as Angela started to work on her machines.

Alice shook her head at herself quickly before I said anything. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm just being nosy." She corrected herself.

I shook my head. "I don't mind. I have dilated cardiomyopothy." I told her, and she looked over to me. "Well, that's a mouthful." She chuckled, and I returned her smile. "Don't blame me, I didn't choose it." I returned.

She giggled. "I have a tumor in my heart." She said casually. I looked over to her. She actually didn't look very sick, and she defiantly didn't act like it. Her enthusiasm was infectious.

Alice and I continued talking for a while as Nurse Angela finished up making sure everything was in order. When she was sure she had completed everything, she stood and asked Alice if she wanted anything else.

After Alice said no, Angela left us, but not before showing us a button to press if we needed her.

When we were left alone in the room, Alice turned back to me.

"I like you, Bella." She beamed at me. "This is going to have so much fun!" Her smile was so warm and I couldn't help but return it.

And in the first time in a long time, I actually had hope.

* * *

**A/N: So, that's it! Please share your thoughts :P And for those of you who are wondering, Edward will be making an appearance VERY soon. Stay tuned :) **

**-Rachel x**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:**** Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, please don't stop!**

**Disclaimer:**** I'm not Stephanie Meyer, no matter how hard I wish Edward were mine.**

**Previously:**

When we were left alone in the room, Alice turned back to me.

"I like you, Bella." She beamed at me. "This is going to have so much fun!" Her smile was so warm and I couldn't help but return it.

And in the first time in a long time, I actually had hope.

* * *

The next few days were difficult. The change from living at home and doing everything for myself, as well as Charlie, to living in a hospital, was pretty extreme. It was hard getting used to the fact that I was basically chained to a bed until a new heart could be found for me.

And even then, if a heart was found that was a match for me, there were people out there who were much higher up on the transplant list than I was.

Thankfully, I had Alice. You would think being trapped in a room with the same person for such a long period of time would start to grate on your nerves, no matter how much you liked them. That wasn't the case for us. Alice and I had bonded instantly. Her enthusiasm and positivity were infectious, and already she was making my transition from living at home to hospital much easier.

Doctor Yorkie came in to check on us at least once a day during his rounds, along with a group of medical interns. Nurse Angela came into check on us much more often. I was starting to think that woman never slept.

There wasn't much we could do, being trapped in beds all day. Alice was stronger than I was though, able to get up any time she pleased to pick up a book or magazine from across the room. I had been improving, now able to stand and get myself to the bathroom without help if I needed to, but I was still too weak to do much else.

I used the time I spent stuck in bed to try to learn how to knit. TRY being the operative word. I was now in the middle of a very badly made scarf, which was a deep red color. Hopefully I'd improve in time to send Charlie something for his birthday.

Alice was watching me in amusement from her bed as I struggled to loop the wool over itself with the needle to try and form stitch. Alice thought my attempts were hilarious, and it was one of her favorite things to mock me about.

Throwing the needles and wool down to the bottom of my bed in frustration, I huffed and crossed my arms. Alice let out a little laugh and went back to reading her fashion magazine. She spent most of her time studying those magazines like they were her bible.

Alice was an up-and-coming fashion designer. She told me of her plans to launch her own line of clothing once she was out of the hospital. She sketched ideas for new items of clothing all the time, sticking half-finished designs all over the walls in our room. She said that when she got an idea, she had to scribble it down immediately, or she would forget. She called it "catching fireflies."

I sighed and reached forward to pick up the knitting supplies I had chucked to the bottom of my bed and decided to try again.

After a few minutes, our comfortable silence was interrupted by a gentle knock on our ajar door.

A beautiful blonde nurse wearing green scrubs walked in and gave us a smile. "Hi, I'm Rosalie." She said. "Which one of you is Alice Brandon?"

Alice looked up from her magazine and held up her right hand. "That would be me." She smiled and gestured towards me. "That's Bella."

Rosalie stepped forward and held out her hand for us to shake in turn and then stepped back. "I'm your nurse." She explained. Alice and I looked at each other in confusion.

"What about Angela?" Alice asked Rosalie.

She simply smiled. "Nurse Angela has to sleep sometimes, you know."

"Oh, right." Alice grinned. Rosalie reached forward to pick up one of the folded up wheelchairs we kept by the door. Alice had bought little pink licence plates with our names on them from the gift shop downstairs. They were probably designed for kid's bikes or bedroom doors, but instead, she stuck them to the back of our respective wheelchairs. She said it gave them "personality."

"Alice, Doctor Yorkie asked me to bring you down for a chest CT now, if that's alright with you?" She said as she unclicked the folded up wheelchair.

Alice took stood from her bed and collected her pink fluffy dressing gown from the hook on the back of the bathroom door and shrugged it on before she sat down in the wheelchair Nurse Rosalie had unfolded for her.

Alice sighed and looked at me. "Don't wait up!" She said jokingly, but I could hear the undercurrent of sadness in her voice. As hard as we both tried to put up a brave front, there was no denying this was hard. The constant pain, worry and frustration. Never knowing what will be found during an x-ray, or during an exam. Never knowing if this breath will be your last.

Nurse Rosalie gave me a small wave, which I returned, before she turned the wheelchair around and rolled Alice out of the room.

While she was gone, I got back to work on my scarf. It had lots of holes in it from where I had dropped stitches, but I kept going with it. For about a half an hour, I continued to struggle with the needles and tangle of wool. I was just getting the hang of it when I heard the door open.

Without looking up, I asked "Al? How did it go?" I continued to spear the wool with the needle while I waited for Alice's response. When none came, I automatically looked up to see what was wrong. Standing the doorway was someone who was _definitely_ not Alice.

My very first thought was that he was gorgeous. Surely this Adonis couldn't be real. He was tall, lean, well muscled, but not overly so. His appearance was spotless, the only exception being his messy unusually colored bronze hair.

He was obviously a doctor, as he was wearing a white lab coat, but I hadn't seen him before. Although, that wasn't saying much, since I had only been at this hospital for a few days.

I realized a few moments too late that I was staring far too long than was socially acceptable at the man, most likely with an awe-struck expression on my face. I fought to stop staring at him like an idiot.

It was when I pulled it together I realized he hadn't said anything. He was standing in the doorway to my room, and he hadn't moved since I had looked up at him. His eyes met mine for the first time, and I saw they were a bright shade of green.

He shook his head quickly like he was trying to clear his head. He cleared his throat and took a step forward into the room.

"Hello. I'm Doctor Edward Cullen." He said formally. I was struck dumb by the sound of his voice. It was like... velvet.

"Bella." I croaked out, cringing at the contrast between our voices. He walked forward and took the chart from where it was hanging on the bottom of my bed. He flipped it open and examined it closely.

"It says here that your name is Isabella." He noted with a half-smile that made the butterflies throw a fiesta in my stomach.

"I... um, I prefer Bella." I managed to stutter out. I swear it isn't often that I'm glad for my heart condition, but right now I couldn't be more happy that my heart couldn't speed up and show through the heart monitor, obviously revealing my attraction to the handsome doctor.

"Bella, it is, then." He shut the chart quickly and tucked it under his arm.

I looked at him and frowned, "Um, sorry, no offence or anything, but Doctor Yorkie is my doctor, so... why are you here?" I realized I probably sounded really rude, but I was curious why he was here.

He looked like he was trying to hide a smile as he cleared his throat. "I'm Head of the Cardiology Department. I like to keep up to date with everyone's patients to make sure everything is running smoothly, even if they aren't my cases." Once again I was glad for my shit circulation, so I hadn't turned bright red as I would have, had I a healthy heart.

"Oh. Right." I murmured, looking down to my lap where my pile of wool was sitting.

"Knitting something?" He asked. I looked back up to him and the humor in his eyes was obvious.

"I'll have you know, I _am_ improving." I huffed, crossing my arms. Doctor Cullen grinned, making the butterflies in my stomach multiply.

He walked towards my bed and reached for the pile of wool. "Do you mind?" he asked, before he picked the pile up. His close proximity made it hard to concentrate, so I just nodded mutely. He held up the scarf and examined it. "Hmm..." He hummed, obviously trying to hide his amusement.

I pursed my lips as Doctor Cullen turned to look at me with one eyebrow raised. "It's getting better." I protested. He nodded and pressed his lips together, trying to be serious.

"It sure is." He said. He removed my chart from under his arm and placed it back on the hook at the end of my bed.

He walked over to Alice's bed and picked up her chart. I watched him in silence as he examined it. "Where is Ms. Brandon?" He asked me after he looked up from her chart.

I glanced up at the clock mounted on the wall and then looked back to him. "She left for a chest CT about forty minutes ago." I explained and he nodded. "She should be back soon, then." He confirmed.

I nodded and waited for him to leave and come back later. Instead, he pulled a chair from under the desk against the wall facing our beds and brought over to the edge of my bed.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What are you doing?" I asked as he settled into the chair.

He looked at me and gave my a half smile. "Waiting for Ms. Brandon to come back, of course." I sat in stunned silence as I watched this Adonis sitting beside me.

How could he be a doctor? Guys like him were jocks, or celebrities. They weren't doctors.

He chuckled. "I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted."

Holy shit, did I just say that _out loud?_

"Er, sorry. I didn't mean to be rude." I apologized awkwardly. Doctor Cullen smiled and shook his head. "No, it's alright. I mainly got into medicine to please my father, but I found I was good at it." He explained.

"Do you enjoy it?" I asked him. He leaned forward in the chair and rested his forearms on his knees. "Very much." He grinned up at me. "There's no better feeling than saving a life."

The passion in his eyes was obvious. He must be very talented. He looked like he was only in his late twenties to early thirties, and he was already head of an entire surgical department.

He asked me about what I did for a living and I told him about majoring in English literature, but because of my heart condition I couldn't work.

He smacked himself on the forehead and grimaced. "Sorry, I forgot." He said bashfully. I smiled at him. "Forgot? You forgot you were talking to someone in a hospital bed?" I asked jokingly.

He cringed. "Sorry." He brushed some invisible lint off his black trousers. He was clearly uncomfortable so I reached forward to touch his shoulder to comfort him. When my hand made contact with him, I let out a gasp as what felt like a shock of electricity ran up my arm. and I saw Doctor Cullen looking back at me, his eyes were wide and his mouth was open slightly as he breathed heavily.

It felt like time stood still as I looked into his smoldering emerald eyes. I could feel the electricity almost crackling around us as he looked back at me. He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, just the door opened and Alice's voice could be heard chattering away.

Doctor Cullen jumped up from the chair and away from me as if he were caught doing something he shouldn't, just as Alice and Rosalie entered the room.

"Bella! Guess what? They think my tumors are shrinking!" Alice exclaimed.

Alice had been taking part in a clinical trial that hopefully would shrink her tumors down to a small enough size so they could be removed surgically without rupturing her heart. It was extremely experimental, so they had to keep her in the hospital under observation the entire time she was using the treatment.

I was genuinely delighted for Alice and I gave her a huge grin which she returned as she climbed into bed. Once she was settled she let out a squeal. "Can you believe it? I might actually get to launch my collection!" She said happily.

It was then Alice noticed Doctor Cullen standing at the end of my bed. Her mouth fell open a little as she took in his appearance. He walked toward her and outstretched his hand politely. "Alice Brandon, I assume?" He asked.

She nodded and took his hand and shook it. Nurse Rosalie sent Doctor Cullen a nod, which he returned, and then she left us alone.

Doctor Cullen spent the next ten minutes asking us how we were enjoying our stay in the hospital, and if there was anything that could be done to improve our time here. He asked how we felt about Doctor Yorkie and the nurses. Alice and I both answered positively about everything. As hospitals went, this one was pretty awesome.

Before he left, Doctor Cullen smiled. "It was a pleasure, ladies."

As he turned to leave he nodded at Alice. "Miss Brandon." and he looked over to me and gave me his crooked smile which made the butterflies in my stomach dance. "Bella."

* * *

**A/N:**** Soo... they've met! What do you think? Anything you don't like about this story? Any ideas as what will happen? Let me know :)**


	5. Author's note

***AUTHOR'S NOTE:***

I'm afraid that there won't be new chapter this week. I actually feel really terrible. I always hate it when authors are inconsistent with their posting schedules, and I always strive to be on time with my posting.

I won't bore you with the details of my family life, but just know that right now I can't post a new chapter, and I'm awfully sorry.

I should be back to updating as usual by next week.

Thanks for your patience

~twihard27


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